The present invention is directed to methods of playing wagering games and gaming devices comprising a primary gaming unit and a pinball-type game.
Games of chance have been enjoyed by people for thousands of years and have enjoyed widespread popularity in recent times. Many people enjoy playing a wide variety of games that they have not previously played. Playing new games adds to the excitement of this recreational activity particularly when some form of xe2x80x9cgamingxe2x80x9d is involved. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cgamingxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cgaming devicesxe2x80x9d are used to indicate that some form of wagering is involved, and that players must make wagers of value, whether actual currency or some equivalent of value, e.g., token or credit.
One popular game of chance that has long been enjoyed by many players is the slot machine. Conventionally, a slot machine is configured for a player to input something of value, e.g., a standard denomination of currency or house token or other representation of currency or credit, and then to permit the player to activate the device which causes a plurality of reels to spin and ultimately stop to display a random combination of some form of indicia, for example, numbers or symbols. If this display contains one of a preselected plurality of winning combinations, the machine releases money into a payout chute or onto a credit meter for the player. For example, if a player initially wagered two coins of a national currency and that player won a high payout, that player may receive fifty coins of the same denomination in return.
Since it is desirable to offer players games which they have not played before, it would be desirable to provide a player with new games and additional opportunities to receive winning payouts. It would be particularly desirable to provide new methods of determining the amounts of such winning payouts.
It would therefore also be desirable to provide novel payouts and events which are discernible by a player and/or other observers.
Various embodiments of the present invention comprise gaming devices having a gaming unit and a pinball-type game.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a pinball-type game provides at least one payout solely on the basis of the outcome of the pinball-type game. In one embodiment, the pinball-type game is clearly visible to a player and is actuated when the primary gaming unit comprising a slot machine displays certain predetermined indicia. In another embodiment, the pinball-type game is actuated by some event other than the outcome of the gaming unit such as the wagering of some minimum pre-determined amount, e.g., maximum number of coins permitted for playing the primary gaming unit, a pre-determined rate of play by a player, the use of a player tracking device by a player, e.g. a casino card, or some signal generated by the gaming establishment, or a choice by the player after a pre-determined event, e.g. a player may be provided the option of receiving an award or playing the pinball-type game or waging a portion of the award on the pinball-type game. The pinball-type game is preferably operated automatically and randomly by the gaming device or may be operated by the player. As to the preferred embodiment, the outcome of the pinball-type game is not dependent on player""s skill.
The gaming device may also comprise a bonus wheel or reel for increasing the score resulting from play of the pinball-type game and/or from the play of the primary gaming unit. The bonus wheel or reel can be caused to spin automatically or in response to some outcome on either the gaming unit or pinball type game.
As described in more detail below, it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a payout from the primary gaming unit only, a payout from the pinball-type game only (with or without use of a bonus wheel), and a payout from the primary gaming unit and the pinball-type game (with or without use of a bonus wheel).
According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the reels of the primary gaming unit stop on one of a predetermined plurality of winning indicia sets, the pinball-type game is placed in an active state. A person, such as the player, may actuate a pinball plunger in order to operate the pinball-type game or the pinball can be actuated automatically. According to another embodiment of the present invention, activation of play of the pinball-type game requires operator intervention so that a player must involve a casino attendant.
Still other embodiments of the present invention comprise gaming devices having electronic means for displaying indicia of rotatable reels such as a video screen, and/or means for displaying a pinball-type game such as a video screen.
The present invention also comprises methods for playing wagering games of chance. One preferred method comprises the steps of providing a player with an opportunity to place a wager, providing a gaming unit for displaying a randomly selected combination of indicia, said displayed indicia selected from the group consisting of reels, indicia of reels, indicia of playing cards, and combination thereof, providing a pinball-type game operatively connected to the gaming unit, activating said pinball-type game, and providing at least one payout based solely on the outcome of the pinball-type game.
According to the present invention, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide a gaming device having a pinball-type game which provides a payout based solely on an outcome of the pinball-type game, and also a separate payout according to the embodiments of the parent application, e.g., embodiments having a payout indicator comprising a multiplier and a value indicator, wherein a payout is indicated to a player as the product of the value shown by the value indicator and the multiplier. According to the preferred embodiments of the parent application, the value of the multiplier is determined through the operation of a pinball-type game and a rotating bonus wheel or reel before determination of the value indicator, e.g., a rotating reel. The wheel and/or reel can be caused to spin automatically or in response to some action by a player, e.g., the player pushing a button. The value indicator may be electro-mechanically operated and linked to a random number generator which determines where the value indicator actually stops.